A Brief History of Klyde …

Everything you always wanted to know about that aviatin’ ant Klyde Morris (but were afraid to ask).

Klyde Morris was created by author Wes Oleszewski on February,13, 1978. Atthat time Wes was a freshman at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, andtwo days later the very first Klyde Morris cartoon strip appeared in the campusnewspaper, the Avion. Fortunately for the readers of Klyde Morris, butunfortunately for Wes, he was compelled to work his way through school andso while he was in and out of school over a number of years the cartoon neverleft page two of the Avion. For a full decade, which was the time that it tookWes to earn his degree and pilots certificates, Klyde Morris ran an editorialspear through the self-important blow-hards of the university. In that time morethan 1,200 Klyde Morris cartoons were read by those who picked up the newspaper.The no-holds-barred and edgy satire of Klyde Morris brought down its shareof administrators and shed light on every university evil doer until Wesfinished school in the spring of 1988.

The cartoon itself centered on a cynical little ant who, throughadministrative stupidity and greed for admission deposits, finds himselfenrolled in the university before anyone discovers that he is actually an ant.

Klyde's first appearance
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Klydes point of view normally cuts through the rose-colored glass throughwhich the self-important blow-hards would have us see the world and sheds lighton things that some would rather not have over looked. No person is too powerfulto escape being twisted into Klydes world, and no subject is immune. Forexample, in his college days, author Wes Oleszewski created a giant statue ofthe university president in a fictitious amusement park called Jack Hunt World.That way ordinary folks could climb into President Hunts head and, see theworld through his eyes — ...sorta above everyone else... right throughthe giant aviator sunglasses. He also put one of the universitys check airmenon a chain, buried the provost in a mountain of campus parking tickets and wrotehundreds of other cartoons, any one of which should have gotten him expelledfrom school. Often, enraged subjects of Klyde Morris stormed into the newspaperoffice demanding the cartoonists head on a pike, yet over the entire run ofKlyde Morris, Wes never had to write one single retraction for any of hiscartoons.


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When Wes graduated from college, Klyde Morris was retired as the cartoonistwent about pursuing a career as a professional pilot. Requests from Klyde Morrisfans for the return of the cartoon, however, were constant. At length, in thespring of 1999, Wes discovered a terrific vehicle for bringing back the cartoon.Purchasing an Internet Web site, Wes began klydemorris.com, and once again KlydeMorris came to life. The satire was cranked up, as the cartoon focused on theaviation industry. Writing from his own experience on the inside of the aviationbusiness, Wes picked up right where he left off, no-holds-barred and shootingfrom the hip with laser beam accuracy.


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In early 2000, the folks at AVweb took notice of this aviation cartoon, andsoon Klyde Morris and AVweb came together. It is a perfect match, with the mostpopular aviation news and information site hosting aviations most edgycartoon strip. Now, twice a week, the readers of AVweb can log on and see theworld from the perspective of the only ant in aviation — Klyde Morris.


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Klyde Morris is copyright 2000, by Wes Oleszewski. All rights reserved.